Former Sri Lankan cricketer Dulip Samaraweera has been banned for 20 years by Cricket Australia (CA) following allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female cricketer.

The CA integrity unit conducted an investigation after receiving complaints about Samaraweera’s conduct during his time as an employee of Cricket Victoria. The investigation concluded that he exhibited a “coercive and controlling manner” towards the player over an extended period, leading to the lengthy ban.

As a result of violating CA’s Code of Conduct, Samaraweera is prohibited from holding any position within CA or state cricket.

Nick Cummins, CEO of Cricket Victoria, condemned Samaraweera’s actions as “utterly reprehensible” and a “betrayal” of the organization’s values. In a statement, Cummins expressed full support for the decision:

“We strongly support the Code of Conduct Commission’s decision to ban Dulip Samaraweera for 20 years. His conduct was reprehensible and goes against everything we stand for at Cricket Victoria. The victim has shown incredible strength and courage in speaking out, and we will continue to support her as she pursues her goals both on and off the field.”

Cummins also emphasized the importance of a safe environment at Cricket Victoria:

“The safety and wellbeing of everyone at Cricket Victoria is our top priority. We will not tolerate any behavior that compromises this and will always support our culture of speaking up.”

Samaraweera, who played seven Tests and five ODIs for Sri Lanka between 1993 and 1995, had a long coaching career. He previously served as an assistant coach for Victoria’s women’s team and the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). Earlier this year, he was appointed senior coach for Victoria’s women’s team but resigned two weeks later after a staffing request was denied.